Olympic sailor wades in to Lymington ferry row

4:08pm Friday 26th October 2007

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AN Olympic medal winning-yachtsman has thrown his weight behind a campaign to prevent ferry operator Wightlink using larger vessels on a busy cross-Solent route.

Olympic silver medallist Nick Rogers branded the plans by Wightlink to upgrade its ferries on the short Lymington to Yarmouth crossing as "absolutely disgusting".

Nick, 30, who is from Lymington, came second in the 470 dinghy class at the Athens Olympics in 2004. He is crying foul over the new ferry believing they would "ruin everything Lymington has". Nick, who has recently qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Games where he hopes to gain the ultimate prize of a Gold, said: "I think it's tragic for Lymington and that it will destroy the river and probably the town as well. It will create extra traffic, extra people and extra tourism.

"The effects of the new ferries will be to ruin everything Lymington has.

"I'm incensed about it. I find it absolutely disgusting."

Two new ferries to replace the current 34-year-old vessels are being built in Croatia. They will cost £10m each.

They are longer and taller and will displace almost twice as much water as the current boats, sparking concerns about their environmental impact on the sensitive Lymington River with its reed beds and salt marshes The new vessels, due to begin service next summer, will have space for 65 cars.

The current ferries only carry 50 cars.

Nick, who learned to sail at the now-threatened Royal Lymington Yacht Club's Wednesday Junior Sailing, added: "I find Wightlink's plans unbelievably insensitive.

"To me it seems like an unbelievably backhanded route that Wightlink has taken to try and sly-in the big ferries.

"I can't understand how Wightlink are going ahead with their plans after years of trying and being told no."

However, Wightlink mounted a spirited defence of its plans yesterday. It says that the new ferries would actually carry fewer passengers.

A spokeswoman said: "Overall the new ferries will be just four metres longer and 0.8 metres wider.

"They will carry just 15 extra cars, and the overall passenger capacity will reduce from 500 to 360, as there is no requirement to operate to a higher passenger capacity.

"Wightlink is committed to working with the RLymYC to ensure the continuation of the Junior Sailing Programme, and is already a financial sponsor to the RLymYC.

"There are no grounds to suggest that the new ferries will represent a danger to sailors.

"Wightlink has an impeccable record of safe operation on the route and safety will continue to be paramount with the new ferries."

l A public meeting due to take place at Lymington Community Centre on October 31 will now be held on November 1 at the same venue, starting at 7.30pm.